“It’s a strange feeling. Everywhere I go, I’m the first. Step outside the rover? First guy ever to be there! Climb a hill? First guy to climb that hill! Kick a rock? That rock hadn’t moved in a million years!” —Mark Watney (Matt Damon), The Martian In terms of space dramas, The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott and adapted from Andy Weir’s 2011 novel of the same name (the original source of the quote above), is perhaps most comparable to Apollo 13,…

September 11, 2001 marks a tragic day for the United States. Approximately 3,000 victims were killed between the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania – marking the most deadly terrorist attack in world history. Three University of Virginia student organizations including Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), the Burke Society, and the College Republicans would like to invite you to remember those lost on this horrific day by attending their 3rd annual co-hosted 9/11 Memorial Ceremony. The…

Cavaliers vs. Bruins Recap We hold these truths to be self-evident, that when a team’s quarterback has departed in the NFL draft, that when a team has a top-notch defense, that when the team’s running back led the Pac-12 in rushing the previous year with over 1,500 yards, and that when the coach has publicly criticized his own quarterback, the team shall run the ball. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, UCLA head coach Jim Mora seems to suffer from cognitive dissonance as he fully handed over the reins…

Dear readers, We are pleased to announce that, after a slight delay, both our February and March Issues are now available online. Every semester, our magazine continues to evolve both aesthetically and intellectually as we continue to grow our staff and refine our writing. It is not easy finding a dedicated group of students, much less a cohort of any young adults, willing to sacrifice their free time for a project like The Virginia Advocate. And yet we have done the impossible, revived…

A frenetic Saturday for Wahoo sports (a 5-2 win over #9 Miami in baseball, a 12-9 come-from-behind win over #14 Georgetown in lacrosse, a track meet, and a 502 victory over the Hokies in women’s tennis) was capped off by Virginia’s spring football game. Despite claims that it was “just another practice” and the efforts to create such an aura, a perceptible intensity pervaded the Carl Smith Center on Saturday evening. Following a widely criticized termination to last season, in which Director…

Following tradition, The Cavalier Daily published their annual April Fools Day edition on Wednesday, expecting to shed some light-hearted humor on an otherwise gloomy semester. Instead, their managing board was greeted with a “Trail of Schmears” as controversy erupted over some not-so politically correct articles that left students with mouths agape and muttering, “too soon.” Rather than starting a discussion about themed fraternity parties or the ABC arrest of Martese Johnson, The Cavalier Daily inadvertently ignited a debate about free speech and…

Alexander Adames recently wrote an article titled “The Misguided Exaltation of Jefferson: Students should refrain from venerating Thomas Jefferson” for The Cavalier Daily. The basis of the article is that because Jefferson owned slaves in his private life, Jefferson should not be admired as a great man with deep respect. It disturbed me to read this article, for it seemed that he was establishing a ridiculous standard for admiration, simultaneously rejecting proper historical approach. One of the most important issues with this…

While we are still two weeks away from Selection Sunday, March Madness is in full force at UVa. The battered, bruised, and face mask-donning Hoos came away with a 69-57 win last week over their in-state rivals Virginia Tech. And then UVa clinched the ACC regular season title and the number one seed in the ACC tournament with a win versus Syracuse this past Sunday. With a win against Louisville and a strong showing in the ACC tournament, UVa is all but…

The polls for student elections opened today at 10:00am and will close at 4:00pm next Thursday, February 26. With so much time to vote, and so many candidates from which to choose, here is how you shouldn’t vote this election season. 1. Don’t vote for your friends. Let’s be real, despite what they tell you at orientation about the grandeur of self-government, student elections tend to devolve into a popularity contest. There are few problems in college that students can take seriously, and…

Transcribed below is a speech from Evan Berhle, a previous Chair of the Honor Committee, to the Class of 2017 at the University of Virginia. Evan gave a passionate defense of the Honor system, and in retrospect, offers some insights to the Single Sanction dilemma facing the University today. The speech is his own–but the lessons are yours to choose. — Good evening. My name is Evan Behrle, and I am the Chair of the University’s Honor Committee. Tradition dictates that before…